Counting Stars
by Jocasta Silver
Summary: Sometimes, it takes awhile to see that the solution is right in front of you. Loki/Daisy/Lincoln. spoilers for the episode the Team.
Author's Note: I never intended to write a sequel to my fic "In the Lethe" but I couldn't get this idea out of my head.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Agents of Shield_ , _Captain America_ , or _Thor_. These are all owned by Marvel.

Counting Stars

It took days for Daisy to find the courage to emerge from quarantine, and she struggled to meet anyone's eyes. The only people she conversed with were Lincoln, who was a steadfast support, and Alisha. She would work out in the gym by herself, and kept a journal (something May suggested). No one approached her, but no one avoided her either. They all just wanted to give her some space after what Hive did to her mind.

It was hard to feel anything but disgust for the way Hive treated her. He called her Skye and claimed that he was "happy" to see her again, but it was a working relationship based on manipulation and lies. She knew intellectually that what she'd done wasn't her fault, but she still felt guilt for it all the same.

…...

Several months later, she reassembled the team and officially invited Alisha to join. Any hard feelings she felt for the beating her doubles gave her fell to the wayside when stacked against the compassion Alisha had shown for her. They spent most days cleaning up the mess left behind by what people were calling the Civil War of the Superheroes. Stark retreated behind his papers in disgrace and General Ross served a prison sentence for his questionable methods in interrogating so called "security risks". It felt nice to support those innocents who'd been unwittingly caught in the crossfire.

She was startled when the Captain America came stumbling into the base, carrying his best friend and wanted fugitive Bucky Barnes. He begged that she protect Barnes, and after a long heated debate with Coulson she welcomed Barnes into the Secret Warriors.

Officially, she claimed that the team required a non-Inhuman member. However, the truth was she needed someone who understood what it was like to be used as Hive used her. Although, Elena and Joey were wary at first, they both warmed up to Bucky's friendliness and deep loyalty. She watched as Alisha and Bucky flirted and danced around each other. When she walked in on the pair kissing, all she said was "get a room you two."

Bucky blushed, but Alisha rolled her eyes. Daisy envied them. Her relationship with Lincoln stalled, neither willing to talk about the elephant in the room that was Hive. They weren't broken up, but they weren't dating as seriously as they'd been before. It was maddening and sad.

…

When Thor showed up a year later with Loki in tow Daisy deadpanned. "Seriously, what's the point of having a secret base when it's not a secret."

"A mutual friend mentioned that this was safe harbor," Thor explained. "My brother needs somewhere safe, and Asgard is no longer that place."

It was even harder to twist Coulson's arm into letting his killer join her team, but Elena wasn't full time and Joey requested leave to go on a short vacation with his boyfriend. Loki was friendlier than she'd expected and he quickly caught on that what Hive did to her was a sensitive topic. Daisy actually found that she liked working with him.

On one of her rambles on the base by herself, Loki showed up and said without preamble, "I was controlled by another once. It was a long time before I accepted that the blame lay with the one who controlled me."

Daisy smiled and offered to practice sparring with him.

…

Normally Lincoln Campbell was good at figuring things out. However, the "Loki situation" confused the hell out of him. On one hand, he was jealous of the report he had with Daisy. On the other hand, the demigod turned him on in a strange way. They'd spent an afternoon discussing Frost Giant physiology, and Lincoln resisted the urge to touch the man's muscled arms. He still was attracted to Daisy, but Loki was also hot. There was only one person he could talk to about this without sounding like an idiot.

"I think there is something wrong with me," he said to Alisha and explained the situation.

Alisha snorted. "Did it ever occur to you to that you might be polyamorous. Talk to both them, and see if they feel the same way."

It took him a week to work up the courage to ask to speak to both Daisy and Loki after a mission. "I want both of you," he confessed. "I understand if that might disgust you, but I can't lie about how I feel."

"I feel the same way," Daisy admitted. "I still love you Lincoln, but I feel drawn to Loki."

"I am not opposed to a relationship like this happening," Loki said. "However how would a relationship like ours work?"

"We'll just take things slowly," Daisy suggested.

So they did. No one on the team judged them. Joey, Bucky, and Alisha had all experienced prejudice in some form. Elena was ok with it; as long they were all happy. It was a weird arrangement, but it made them all happy and that was all that mattered.

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this piece and as always please read and review.


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